


21

by violet_novy



Category: Dir en grey, the GazettE
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Police, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-10-30 14:50:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17830640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violet_novy/pseuds/violet_novy
Summary: New York can be beautiful and scary at the same time. Especially when you don't know the time when from a predator you become a prey.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when a girl likes CSI New York and Dir en grey too much. 
> 
> Italics represent the past events and a normal text is the present time.

_Nights are always cold at this time of the year. Tonight was no better. Especially because of the rain that was almost angrily hitting the ground and trees. The forest was dark and scary, the rain doing its best to drown out almost any other sound. Aside from the heavy panting cutting through the constant pitter-patter of water hitting leaves._

_A young man was standing in the middle of a small dirt-path within the forest, supporting himself on the trunk of a tree, fingernails digging helplessly into the rough bark. His black hair was sticking wetly to his face. The rain running over his skin made him shiver, but at least it was effective in concealing the tears that were falling from his eyes. Not that there would have been anyone around to see them. In a vain effort of trying to gather the remains of his torn clothes that were slung haplessly around parts of his trembling body, he almost lost his balance. His hand slipped from the tree and he fell against it, scraping his shoulder on the bark. He welcomed the sting of it silently, enjoying the way it overshadowed the pain he was in already; the one that had him hissing with every movement. But he needed to keep moving. He needed to find back home._

_Finally, he decided to risk taking a first step. Pain shot through his body instantly, rendering him incapable of breathing for a split second. Then, he was panting again. His eyes were burning from crying. His limbs were shaking with the effort of keeping upright. He cursed silently. Groaning, he decided to take the next step. Pain. Panting. Another step. Pain. Panting. One more. Again and again._

_He needed to come back home as soon as possible, before he would lose consciousness. But not to his own home, no. “Home” to the place where the only people who loved him lived._

\---------------------------------------------------

The phone was ringing angrily on the nightstand, demanding the attention of its owner. A tattooed hand shot out and started searching blindly for the annoying device. Finally, the phone was found and a man answered it on the last ring, groaning into the receiver. He didn't care to open his eyes to check who the caller was; and he didn't have to. There was only one person who would dare calling him at this ungodly hour.

\- Niikura - That was it. No hello, no good morning or other pleasantries. Calling someone in the middle of the night didn’t exactly warrant any friendly greetings and the person who had woken him up wasn’t expecting one, anyway.

\- We got another one - came a tired voice through the phone. Kaoru mentally cursed, although he had already suspected that was the case. His colleague continued, - I’ll pick you up in about 60 minutes.

Oh? That was something new. It never took him that long to arrive at Kaoru's apartment. Not from his apartment in Brooklyn, anyway.

\- I hope you enjoyed your date, Die. Been with her until now? - said Kaoru, a smirk on his face that he was sure his friend could hear.

Even in this half asleep state Kaoru was able to remember about his colleague's date. With a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he recalled just how excited Die had been, cinnamon eyes glowing and a wide smile brightening his features while he’d been moving his elegant, tall body to a beat only he could hear.

If someone asked Kaoru's opinion, he would say that this girl was a pleasant view. Nice body and blonde hair would make for the shortest description. She was a part of the department’s IT section, which had Kaoru wondering what such a beauty was doing there. Was she really so skilled with computers or were the guys in IT simply bored and had wanted a pleasant distraction from their job?

\- Oh, uhm, I was, yeah. We had dinner together... Spent some time... Pleasant conversation… - another small smile was forming on Kaoru's face. Die could be so utterly cute sometimes. Such a normally confident, grown up man, yet so shy with the simplest things.

\- I’m sorry that they disturbed your… - Kaoru started, suggestive tone underlining his words, but was immediately cut off by Die.

\- I didn't say anything like that! Y-you know… - Kaoru was almost able to see the other’s blush through the phone. Right, Die didn’t do that on first dates. Real gentleman. U-huh. - Besides, I actually like her. I don’t wanna fuck it up by… y’know…

\- Moving too fast? - Kaoru helpfully provided and got a hum of approval in return. Now the older man was grinning like an idiot. He could tell his friend was probably fidgeting and turning beet-red right about now. He sincerely hoped that this time around it would turn out to be a good girl that would love his partner just the way he was, not trying to bend and change him like diverse exes had done. If there was a person on this planet who deserved being accepted for who he was, it was Die. So Kaoru decided that he was going to squeeze all the delicious info regarding the date from his friend, not only because he was curious, but also because he needed to know. To make sure his friend was in good hands with this woman.

His train of thoughts was disrupted again by a forced cough from the other end of the line. - So, uh, I’ll see you in an hour - and Die hung up on him.

Sighing, Kaoru stretched and put the phone back on his nightstand. He had to get up, there was no other option. He slowly rose to a sitting position, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and stretching again. Then he took a look at the woman sleeping next to him. Jessica. Oh, how he adored this wonderful body... those thighs that he enjoyed to tease... her lovely breasts that he loved to lick, kiss, suck and bite gently... the long black hair that he pulled sometimes, only playfully never painfully... her eyes... and lips, especially when they repeatedly moaned his name during sex... Yeah, that was his woman. Although she claimed that she didn't like it when he called her that, Kaoru could see her blush and smile coily every time he did.

But something wasn’t quite right. Kaoru could feel it in his guts.

Last night had been almost too perfect…

When he came back home he had been welcomed with hungry, hot kisses and hugs. Not that he had anything against such a greeting. No, of course not. Jessica had smiled playfully and murmured ‘Welcome home, baby…’, then she had kissed him again and purred that she needed him, ‘right now.’ Then, she had pulled a very surprised Kaoru into their bedroom, pushed him back onto the bed and almost savagely attacked his trousers. Within a few seconds she had begun sucking him off eagerly, leaving him torn between pleasant arousal and some form of disbelieving awe. But even though Kaoru liked getting head like every man, he had been in the mood for some serious teasing and thus, had urged her up from her knees to pull her into his lap and then flip them over. Much to his surprise, she hadn’t put up even the tiniest fight; if anything, she’d been getting into it even more, moaning and purring at the smallest of touches. He’d wanted to have her underneath him, crying from pleasure and repeating his name like a prayer and that was exactly what he got.

After two rounds of wonderful, raunchy, exhausting sex they had gone to sleep, too tired to even think about supper.

But now the whole situation seemed a bit strange. Firstly today was a weekday, Wednesday to be exact, and they had the weekend only rule in place, something Jessica had all but forced upon Kaoru a while ago, claiming that it would enhance their sex-life if they would keep their needs in check until the weekend. To Kaoru, it made the whole thing kind of clinical, though, like he had to make an appointment to sleep with his girlfriend. So last night had been a pleasant surprise indeed. Still, strange, especially since they went two rounds.

Secondly, Jessica had never been a fan of giving head, claiming that she didn't enjoy it but today (or was it yesterday already? What was the time anyway?) Kaoru had been attacked with such an eagerness that it damn well knocked him off his rocker. Thirdly, she had gone to bed silently after sex, although normally she would talk about her day at work, even if Kaoru was not interested in any of the ‘news’ she had to offer -- it was usually mostly gossip, anyway.

Combing his hair with fingers and sighing heavily, Kaoru started his analysis of the situation and the most probable scenario. Maybe she had intended to make him more tired than he already was so she could... what? Sneak out unnoticed? And then what? Nope that wasn’t it. Strange... It wasn’t Kaoru's birthday, either, was it? He actually checked the date on his mobile phone just to make sure, but then inwardly berated himself -- as if he didn’t know the difference between October, which was now, and February, which was when his birthday had been for the past thirty-eight years of his life. Idiot. It wasn’t Jessica's, either, the reminder in his phone would have told him. Neither was it their anniversary; again, the phone would have reminded him. But something was off. Just what, he couldn’t quite fathom just yet.

Kaoru knew that they were seeing each other for over two years already and were living together for more than one. He was sure that she was expecting something from him... but it wasn’t the right time for a marriage proposal. Not yet. Not before the case was closed. She knew that his work was important to him and that she would always have to share him with his job. But for fuck’s sake, she was also working at the same police station, she should understand how stressful his and Die's current case was! Even in her ‘simple’ position as their commander’s secretary. So this was really not the right moment...

Sighting heavily once more, Kaoru got up from the bed and went butt naked into the kitchen to start the coffee for himself and Die, a routine that had long since gone over into his everyday life. If they were going to start their day in a shitty way, which was most often the case with their line of work, seeing as they constantly got called out of bed to a crime scene -- leaving Kaoru to wonder why in the hell no one seemed to commit murders during the day anymore -- at least they should have a nice cup of coffee. Standing in the kitchen and making coffee relaxed him almost immediately. Maybe, he mused, once he was old and no longer working as a detective, he could try and open his own café. It wasn’t such a bad idea.

His next stop was the bathroom for a quick shower and his daily routine of shaving and getting his hair in order. A hot shower always helped him to completely wake up and clear his mind. With only a towel slung lowly around his hips the policeman went back into the bedroom, as quietly as possible looking for something to wear. A pair of briefs, a black wife-beater and a plaid, jet black and navy blue coloured button-down shirt which he left unbuttoned, followed by a pair of worn-in jeans were put on in the speed of light. Finally, he slung his holster around his hips, double-checking that the safety of his gun was in place before sliding it in, then went to collect his phone and watch. Afterwards, Kaoru silently moved back into the kitchen to look for the throwaway paper cups he kept in the cupboard over the sink specifically for those times when Die and him had to start their day with investigating a crime scene instead of going into the office. Using the thermos tumblers without the means to rinse them out somewhere was simply disgusting, especially when he remembered that one time when he found one of them underneath Die’s passenger seat that had started to grow various strains of mold, it had been lying there for so long. He shuddered at the memory. Quickly pushing it out of his mind, he filled the paper cups with the steaming hot liquid and added milk to both of them, but chose to conveniently forget to put sugar in Die’s coffee. He had been forgoing the sweetener for so long that he was sure the younger wouldn’t even notice the difference anymore.

Holding the two smouldering cups of coffee, Kaoru moved to the hallway to put on his shoes and coat and collect his notepad with his trusty pen and house keys. Balancing the cups on top of each other, he quickly opened the door, stepped outside and closed it behind himself. Then, he made his way to the elevators.

When Kaoru left the building, he was able to spot the red car of his friend almost immediately. He yawned behind the upturned collar of his coat. They were starting the next tiring day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank the most wonderful beta - AnnieAmazing. She has helped me making this story much more readable.  
> One of my favourite songs as a thank you, my dear!  
> https://youtu.be/c14qMbmP9eg

_Moving in the dark forest in such a heavy rain was harder than he would have thought, especially when he was in so much pain. The slippery ground of the dirty road was another obstacle on his way_.

 

_He had lost his footing so many times already, it was only thanks to the trees he held on to for support that he was able to keep upright. He was close to losing consciousness now, but the single thought of home helped him taking every step._

 

_Then, finally, a little ways off in the distance, he saw a faint light._

 

_So much relief flooded his mind. He was almost there. Just a little more…_

 

_Through the trees and rain he saw a two-storey house with a single light in a room on the second floor. He was not going to go inside by the front door, since that would require an additional 20 steps and he could never be sure if anyone had seen him or not. The backdoor was closer and he was less likely to be spotted there._

 

_The young man was seriously tired and panting heavily. The thought of another  hurdle almost made him faint. Those little stairs were going to be the end of him, he was sure. He tried to lift his leg slowly to climb the first step, but this idea seemed to be too big all of sudden. Losing his balance, he fell to his knees and crawled up the stairs. Reaching the landing after what felt like an eternity, he made it over to the door and knocked with all of his remaining strength. Glued to the back door  he held his breath and listened if he had managed to wake up the people living in the house._

 

_However, no one seemed to be moving inside._

 

_It was good and bad, relief and torture at the same time to him. His friend could be still waiting for him or he could have fallen asleep in the meantime._

 

_He knocked softly on the door and whispered with all the strength his strained body could muster._

 

_\- Shinya... it's me... please open up…_

 

_He didn't even know how long it took for the door to open and the warm arms of his friend to wrap around him. It didn't matter. He was safe._

 

_\- Shhh… I got you... I got you... - Shinya soothed, his voice breaking from suppressed tears. He knew what had happened to his friend. He, too, had been like that just two months ago._

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

When Kaoru left the building, he was able to spot the red car of his friend almost immediately. It was against the regulations and they were fully aware of that fact, but Die said that the standard-issue vehicles felt like a coffin and there was no way in hell he was going to drive one of those. What was more was that he didn't like the colour. Why all of the cars had to be black was beyond him.

 

Kaoru opened the door, sat down gracefully in the passenger seat and gave his friend the cup of coffee he had brought.

 

\- Hmm... delicious as always... - said Die after taking the first little sip of the hot liquid.

 

\- Glad you like it, but the coffee isn’t the reason for our meeting, is it? - asked  the older detective. Quickly, without stopping to sip his drink, Die handed him a notebook. Immediately, Kaoru skimmed his gaze over the paper and started reading out loud like he always did. He claimed it helped him concentrate, but Die thought he did it just to annoy the shit out of him.

 

\- “At 1:15 am an emergency call was received from Ms Stacy Giovanni. She claimed that her neighbour, Mike Longman, was attacked in his own flat. She heard cries and screams through the walls. She further stated that some loud noises could be heard coming from Longman’s apartment, so she was unsure if he was still alive or not…” So this time Longy is the lucky one?

 

\- So it seems. It will be dangerous. The members of other gangs are going to fight over his part of town.

 

\- I thought so, too. We’ll have to inform the department of organised crimes. They’ll have their hands full.

 

\- Definitely.

 

\- Okay, next... “At 2:15 am officers Jones and McKellen arrived at the scene. They confirmed that from Mr Longman’s flat loud noises and screams could be heard. After a short talk with Ms Giovanni, officer Jones knocked and called Mr Longman through the door, but got no response. The policemen carefully checked the door, found it unlocked and entered the apartment. The previously described screams and noises turned out to originate from an old audio system inside the flat. Officer McKellen turned it off…” WHAT!? - Kaoru exclaimed angrily. - Who the FUCK gave him permission to touch anything on the crime scene!? Is he a fucking idiot!? I swear, if he corrupted any fingerprints...

 

\- Jeez, it’s okay! Calm down. What’s done is done. Forget about it and keep reading. - said Die calmly and took a sharp turn right. One might say that his driving style was dangerous and reckless, but truth be told, he felt like a fish in the water driving through the busy streets of the so-called “City that never sleeps”. Meanwhile, he easily crushed the empty paper cup between his fingers and uncaringly tossed it behind himself. It landed on the backseat with a dull thud that went completely ignored by both men.

 

\- Alright, alright. - Kaoru gave a deep sigh of the long-suffering variety. - Where was I..? Hmm... “Officer McKellen turned it off, then both officers started looking for Mr Longman. They found his dead body in the bedroom and immediately called for backup.” Okay, how did they know that the man was dead? Don't tell me they fucking TOUCHED the body!? I am going to kill them.

 

\- Woah! Calm down. It’s not the first time something like that’s happened. What’s wrong with you today?

 

Kaoru hesitated with his answer for a moment, but knew that there was nothing he couldn’t share with his partner. With a soft sigh, he replied, - I think that something’s wrong with Jessica.

 

\- What? Why?

 

\- We had sex tonight…

 

\- Oh, boo-hoo, I’m so sorry for you. - the brunette all but mocked, pulling a face and failing to see the problem. What was wrong with having sex? Especially with Jessica, the girl was smoking hot.

 

\- Eh, well… she pushed the “weekend only” rule on me.

 

\- Huh? I didn't know. What kind of a stupid rule is that? When did she do that?

 

\- Umm… half a year ago, I think? It’s not so important. What’s weird is that we did it two times tonight. She also sucked me off.

 

\- Wow... okay, I agree, it does sound a little strange, but maybe it’s just that time of the month?

 

\- What? No, of course not! Do you even understand the meaning of those words? “This time of the month” means she's on her period and that's certainly not the case here.

 

\- Ah, my bad. I didn't mean it like that. I just thought that maybe she's in the mood, y’know. Like, maybe she's just been horny, yeah? Women DO get horny,  don’t they?

 

\- Sure they do. They’re human after all. But I don't think that’s the case, either. I can feel it in the air, something’s coming and I don't know what. I don't like it.

 

\- Hate to interrupt, but we’ll have to come back to this topic. We’re almost there.

 

\- Eh, it’s fine. Who’ll be working with us?

 

\- Oh, don’t worry. I got your favourites. - Die answered with a cheeky little grin on his lips.

 

Once the younger man had stopped the car on the side of the road and shut off the engine, they both got out and took a careful look around. It wasn't the best neighbourhood, what with drug dealers and prostitutes around every corner. The area gave a sad, uninviting impression. Not a place one chose to live in, but rather, got thrown here by misfortune or lack of education, possibly both. The block was in terrible condition, scratched paint, graffiti and dirty walls were the main decorations and by far the least problematic things about the building. Broken windows everywhere, some provisionally covered with boards that were supposed to protect the residents from the cold of the night. The only source of light were the police cars along the pavement, since the street lamps seemed to have been out of order for a longer period of time already.

 

As they entered the apartment building, they were greeted with the sight of a group of people standing in front of the yellow police lines, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on inside the flat. They pushed through the spectators with some difficulty.

 

\- There is nothing to see here, move along! - Kaoru growled at the crowd of onlookers, giving them a glare of disapproval.

 

Upon reaching the door of the apartment, they were welcomed by a young police officer. Jones, according to his name tag.

 

\- Good morning, sir. Officer Jones, at your service. It is a real pleasure to work with both of you, sir. Detectives Niikura and Andō; you are my idols. Every young cadet dreams to be like you! - the  young policeman babbled excitedly, a blush spreading on his face. Even though Kaoru had wanted to kill him before for making mistakes you learnt not to make during the first month of police academy, he thought better of it now. What good would yelling at the young officer do, anyway?

 

\- I will have a talk with you and your partner about the shit you pulled here later. - Kaoru warned, though his voice remained surprisingly soft. - Have you at least collected the testimony of the main witness?

 

\- Yes, sir. Here you go, sir! - the young man answered and fidgeted with his notepad, clearly flustered.

 

Kaoru let Die take the notebook and walked into the flat. Once inside, he immediately spotted one of his favourite technicians, detective Yuu Shiroyama, who was not happy at all; as always, when he was woken up in the middle of the night.

 

\- Hello, Shiroyama. What’s it look like? Any fingerprints?

 

\- Are you shitting me? We’ve got a bunch of everything in here! Drugs, weapons, blood and alcohol and as many fingerprints as you could want! It's going to take the whole week to check all of this!

 

\- We don't have that kind of time. You know this case has a top priority and you should use all of your best people for it. - Die stated matter-of-factly, not even looking at the other man. Instead, his eyes skimmed over the statement of Miss Giovanni on the notepad.

 

\- Don't tell me how to do my job, Andō. I’m not the best in my department because of my handsome face, you--

 

\- Alright! Enough of this. - Kaoru cut the conversation off before it could turn into an argument. He didn't have the time or nerve for this kind of bullshit today. Or any day, really. - Check the recorder for the audio file. It seems the killer’s left us some music to listen to.

 

\- What!? Why wasn't I told about this before? Johnson! Collect the whole stereo and be sure to check everything three times! Hey! Did you hear me?! - Shiroyama called to his colleague, who immediately moved to the bookstand which held the device.

 

\- Yes, sir!

 

Witnessing the exchange, Kaoru was convinced Shiroyama was going to collect every piece of dirt he could find in the dingy apartment. A little less worried now, he and Die moved toward the bedroom where they found Kaoru’s favourite pathologist, Kouyou Takashima, a true beauty. Honey blond hair that covered parts of his lovely face and the thick-rimmed glasses were his identification.

 

\- Hello, Takashima. You look lovely today, as always. - Die greeted. He didn't pay attention to Kaoru, who sighed heavily. The older man had been sure Die would finally cut the crap after he learned that Takashima and Shiroyama were seeing each other, but it seemed like he still tried his luck with the blonde from time to time.

 

\- Thank you, detective. But I think you might be the only one who would say that, taking the circumstances into consideration. - answered Kouyou and gave him a small, teasing smile.

 

\- Okay, guys, stop! It’s too damn early for this shit. - Kaoru interrupted the exchange and rolled his eyes. - Tell us what we have.

 

The blonde cleared his throat and glanced at the older man, then at the body between them. - Right. The man was probably killed about two hours ago. For now I suspect that the cause of death was internal bleeding caused by this thick stick that he was likely raped with prior to his untimely demise. As always, I’ll be able to tell you more after the autopsy. - Kouyou replied, checking the handcuffs with which the victim had been chained to the metal railing of the bed.

 

\- Do you think it’s the same killer as last time?

 

\- Isn't it your job to find that out? - asked the pathologist, his voice playful. - I’ll need Yuu to cut him loose so I can take the body to the morgue.

 

Just then, a cry could be heard from the apartment door. Alarmed, Kaoru and Die ran toward the noise. They were met with the sight of a young girl with red hair in an exceptionally skimpy black dress. She was desperately fighting with Jones and McKellen, trying to get past them with all her might.

 

\- Let me go, you fuckers! Where is Mike?! Where is my love?! - the woman cried out. - What have you done to him?! Let me see him!

 

\- I’m sorry, Miss, but we can't let you see Mr. Longman right now. Afraid you’ll have to come with us instead. We have some questions. - Kaoru stated calmly. He had seen such scenes too many times to count them anymore.

 

He sighed. It was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The new chapter is ready. :)
> 
> I would like to thank my lovely beta - AnnieAmazing. Thank you for your help. m (_ _)m
> 
> We have also corrected the first chapter. It's so easy to read right now! Do not hesitate to read it again!
> 
> Enjoy!

_Luckily, Shinya’s parents were not at home that night. It would have been difficult to explain to them why he was here and what had happened. They wouldn't understand or then, probably wouldn’t believe him, anyway._

_Shinya helped his friend inside the house, a somewhat difficult endeavour, seeing how the other boy was much taller than himself. The obsidian haired youth, who was shaking like a leaf in his drenched, torn clothes, tried to keep upright and support himself with the wall so it would be easier to move for both of them. He needed a hot shower and a little medical attention, or he wouldn’t be able to go to school on Monday, which gave him two nights time to get better._

_The two young men reached the bottom of the stairs that led to the second floor were the bathroom was located. The ascend was going to hurt like a bitch, both of them knew that it was almost a replay of the Friday that had happened two months ago, but this time the main character was him, rather than Shinya._

_Setting foot on the top of the stairs was like reaching the peak of Mount Everest. On the way there, however, he thought about giving up multiple times, leaning against the wall in exhaustion, breathing heavily and almost falling over, but Shinya urged him on, all but carrying him up the stairs in the end. Thankful, he clung to the younger boy, hugging him with all the strength left in his slim body. He was shaking, on the verge of tears once more, but he held himself back for the sake of his friend. He knew he had to take a shower to wash away the dirt and grime as well as the remaining stains of the night so it would be easier to forget the incident had ever happened -- blissful oblivion, not only for himself but the both of them._

_Shinya continued to support him on the way into the bathroom and proceeded to help him out of his tattered, ripped clothing. Uncovering the sad view of his friend’s beat-up body brought tears to the shorter boy’s eyes._

_\- Oh God… - Shinya was sobbing - What he has done to you? - he was openly crying now, the tears streaming down his pretty face like raindrops rolling along a window pane - This fucking animal! We should--_

_\- Stop it, Shinya. Please, just... stop. It's not going to do us any good. Remember who he is. They won't listen, much less believe us. Nobody ever would. It’s hopeless. - the young man said, his voice taut with the effort of not crying himself, his mind set only on his current goal -- survive and overcome the pain, the humiliation, the fear. He didn't even know how many times they have already had this conversation before, but they’d always concluded it the same -- there was nothing they (or anyone, really) could do, they were resigned to their fate. All they could do was try to go on and forget._

_\- But YOU need a DOCTOR! - Shinya argued with all his might, determination straightening his back - It's too much… - the stubborn tears were still running down his cheeks, but he wasn’t sobbing now; on the contrary, he looked almost angry - I doubt I will be able to stop this bleeding. Please, we have to--_

_\- NO! - the young man yelled suddenly, making Shinya flinch while he himself hissed in pain. The unexpected twitch of his muscles due to the strain of shouting at his friend had served to  irritate his wounds. - I'm sorry… - he whispered - I didn't mean to yell at you. Just, please... patch me up as good as you can. We’ll worry about the rest later. Please - he begged, his voice cracking slightly - don't be difficult. It’ll be alright. I'll be alright. I promise._

_There was silence for a long moment, Shinya looking stricken while his friend tried to smile at him. Then, finally, the auburn haired youth seemed to calm down, his features softening, the tears finally subsiding and his hands, that had been balled into tight fists in angry determination, loosening._

_\- Fine. - Shinya breathed, his voice somewhat defeated and small. A sigh fell from his lips - I'm sorry, too. - he paused, offering a small smile to his friend - Let's clean you up a little. Get in the shower, I'll find the first aid kit._

_They both knew it'd be a long battle. A long night with unknown outcome. Although the worst thing was what they were going to have to tell her. What kind of lie would they come up with this time? Slowly but surely, they were running out of options._

\--------------------------------------------------

Kaoru sighed. It was going to be a long day indeed. He and Die were sitting in front of the redheaded woman. She was blowing her nose and drying her tears with the handkerchief, smearing her makeup all over her face in the process.

\- Would you like another tissue, Miss? - the older man asked, forcing himself to remain calm; thus the words sounded incredibly flat, almost disinterested. She had been sobbing for a solid thirty minutes now and they hadn’t been able to get anything done in the meantime. In a way, Kaoru understood; women were such dedicated and delicate creatures. But he really had enough of this. His hand twitched and he suppressed a groan. Below the table, Die squeezed his knee in a gentle warning. They didn't need another breakdown. Kaoru sighed in silent agreement with his partner. - Miss? - he tried again, his voice more sympathetic this time.

The woman refused with a gentle shake of her head.

\- How about a glass of water? - he offered in an effort to make her speak to him.

This time he got a nod.

Alright. That was something, at least. Die stood and left the room to collect the glass and a bottle of water. He returned quickly, almost at the speed of light, and offered the young lady a sympathetic, honest smile. The older detective couldn’t help but wonder for a brief moment where his partner even pulled the energy from, but dismissed the thought immediately. This was just who Die was, and frankly, Kaoru was grateful for it. There had been many a witness the younger man had charmed with that smile, coaxed into giving up information they normally wouldn’t have, or placated in such a way that they were finally ready to cooperate. The definition of the ‘Good Cop’ as seen on TV, and as such, the perfect counterpart to Kaoru, who was more of the hands-on, ‘squeeze the information out of the target’ kind of detective, the ‘Bad Cop’ through and through, sometimes operating around the edges of what was still considered legal while never truly breaking the law or their code of honour.

They completed each other, Die and him, professionally as much as privately. Their partnership at work had been based on their friendship outside of it, a bond of trust and the ‘I’ll take a bullet for you any day’ attitude tying them to each other and making them click that much better than most other detective pairs out there. Maybe that was the reason they were so successful, their clearance rate closing in on 87 per cent. Shaking his head lightly to himself, Kaoru re-focussed on the witness. Thiswas no time to get distracted. 

\- There you go, Miss. - encouraged Die, the friendly smile still in place.

Thanking him with another little nod wasn’t enough for both of them, however, so Kaoru started to talk to the shaken woman once again. - Miss, there is no need to be afraid. We’re not accusing you of anything. All we need from you is some information, anything you can think of. It might help us find whoever did this to your friend. - he was only met with silence still, but Kaoru continued anyway - How do you know Mr Longman? - No answer. - How did you meet? - Still nothing. An exasperated sigh left Kaoru at the continued silent treatment. - What was your relationship? Can you think of anyone who would want to harm Mr Longman?

\- You wouldn't understand. - the woman finally whispered, staring intently at the glass in front of her.

\- Then talk to us, so we might understand. It won’t do you any harm. - Kaoru pressed, impatience clearly seeping into his words. Again, Die squeezed his knee below the table. 

\- You aren't with organised crimes, are you? - it was more a statement than a question, her voice sounding bitter and somewhat agitated - If you were you wouldn't talk such bullshit.

\- No, Miss, we aren’t. We are with CSI, the crime scene investigation unit. - Die explained patiently, keeping his voice soft and low to offer a sense of security to the troubled woman. - That is why we have a lot of questions. They are only to help us understand who Mr Longman was and hopefully find out who did this to him in the process. Don’t you want us to find the culprit?

\- You’re stupid but kind. Okay, fine. Ask. I'm waiting.

Kaoru suppressed a heavy sigh of relief. He exchanged a glance with Die, communicating his admiration for the younger man’s sweet-talking ability with it, before turning back to the woman.

\- Let's start with the formalities. - the older detective started, looking at her, somehow expecting her disapproval. When she showed no reaction whatsoever, he continued, - State your name, please.

\- Marion.

\- Thank you. Do you happen to have a surname as well? - Kaoru’s voice was vibrating with barely suppressed annoyance. He sent her a dry little smile. She rolled her eyes at him in return and made a face that was supposed to tell him exactly where he could stuff his attitude. He was surprised she didn’t flip him the bird.

\- Give me that. If I let you play this game any longer I’m going to puke. - not waiting for approval or any form of reply from the man sitting in front of her, the redheaded woman snatched the piece of paper and Kaoru’s pen and started filling in the form like a pro. After less than three minutes she pushed the paper and ballpoint back towards the two policemen, folding her hands on top of the table and looking for all the world like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Kaoru, who had watched the goings-on with a raised brow, decided to take a look at the form. He couldn't believe his own eyes. The name written down on it stated Johnny Black. This couldn’t be right. It had to be a mistake. He glanced disbelievingly back and forth between the woman on the other side of the table and the name written on the form.

Just then, she started laughing as if she had just been told the best joke of all time. Die took a look at the paper in front of his partner as well. He frowned in confusion, which only caused her to laugh lauder. Little tears of joy were forming in the corners of her eyes, a few droplets escaping, rolling down the side of her face.

\- Oh, man. That was refreshing. Thanks guys. God knows I needed a good laugh. - she offered after calming down a bit, an amused smile still tugging at the corners of her mouth. She was wiping at her eyes with the knuckles of her forefingers - You still don't understand, do you?

\- I think I don't really follow what just happened in the first place. - stated Die, blinking at her, somewhat dumbfounded.

\- And you call yourself a policeman? Really? You aren’t even able to distinguish a guy from a woman! - she retorted, a new bout of laughter shaking her form. She tilted her head back, proudly showing off her Adam’s apple.

It was then that it hit both detectives like a tonne of bricks. _She_ was a man!

\- Well, in our defense, you _are_ wearing a dress and high heels! - Die couldn't believe how blind they had been. Now that he thought about it, he supposed they should have realised it on their own, seeing how full of herself this woman acted. And then there was the voice, not _utterly_ masculine, but deep enough to give away it belonged to a man.

\- So? If I put a dress on you, will you suddenly turn into a woman? - Marion asked, obviously still amused.

\- No, of course not.

With a sad smile on her face the young woman replied - That’s right. No one would treat you like a lady, even if I put you in one of my favourite dresses. However, it shouldn't be too surprising for you that there _are_ men out there who enjoy being a woman, even if just for a minute. Some of them are simply pretending; playing like it’s a game. Others… let’s just say have risked everything they ever had, any relationship they ever built, just to try and be themselves. And me, well... All I ever wanted was my teeny-tiny grain of happiness. Mike, he… - she trailed off, looking down at her hands, frowning.

Finally, the puzzle pieces clicked into place and both detectives understood what was happening here. In front of them sat a very miserable young man who was trying with all his might to escape his skin. Using his beauty and harsh language as main weapons and armour to get what he -- no, she -- needed and protect herself to the best of her abilities in the process, Marion was going through life alone, without support of family or friends.

Before Die was able to ask about the circumstances of this situation, the woman in the red dress, having collected herself enough to continue, spoke up again.

\- I was working for one of the gangs out there as a male prostitute. Not gonna tell you which one. - the witness stated, dryly stressing the last part of the sentence and giving both detectives a pointed look, effectively cutting off any attempt of the two of them to enquire about this bit of information.

\- They treated me really badly, calling me names or even sometimes hitting me if I didn't bring enough money. - tears started forming at the corners of her eyes with the memories. - Then they did something… I don't really know what or how, didn't particularly care, but they struck a deal. It was decided that some of us alley cats would be sold to another gang. Apparently, they had no money for contribution or something like that; I don’t really know the details. I was among the sold girls, scared shitless, sitting on the floor of a dirty, damp basement. I thought I’d be put in a brothel. But then Mike came in together with a couple other men. They were choosing some of the girls for themselves. - A small smile was forming on his lips.

\- Mike came to me and said, - Marion dropped her voice a few nuances to imitate her lover’s way of speaking - “Hello, gorgeous. Tell me, who do you want to be?” - she giggled, a soft smile playing over her features, accompanied by a faint tint of pink across chiseled cheekbones. - You wanna know what I said? “Your lady.” Stupid, wasn't I? But he didn’t think so. No. He simply took my hand. I was his chosen. He brought me home and told me to take off my clothes and to ‘show him what I'm best at’ -- so I did. Afterwards, he brought me this red dress and high heels and gave me my name, Marion. - she continued with a fond smile.

\- I owe him so much, I really wanted to repay him for everything he did for me, but... - her smile faded, replaced by an angry frown, her hands clenched into tight fists - But now I can't do shit! It was all this stupid bitch’s fault, I'm sure! SHE took him away from me! Oh, Mike! How could I let this happen? - and just like that, the prostitute started crying again, sobs wracking her scantily covered frame.

Die and Kaoru were at a loss for words. There were nothing they could say that seemed appropriate, the only thing the younger detective could think of doing was to offer the crying woman another tissue and a sympathetic smile.

Kaoru pondered the testimony, pursing his lips in thought. They got more information out of the witness than he’d previously expected, almost no questions left unanswered, except for one. Mike Longman seemed to have been a prince charming; why was he murdered in such a fashion? The position they had found him in pointed towards a crime of passion rather than a gang dispute, unless… Could the murderer be using these methods to throw the police off the trail? Kaoru almost wanted to growl and pull his hair in frustration.

A few moments of sobbing and sniffling passed, then Die spoke up again - You said ‘she’ took him away from you. She, who? Can you give us more information? What’s this woman’s name?

\- Fuck if I know. She's appeared out of nowhere and got Mike obsessing over her within a minute! All sweet smiles and sexy moves. There was nothing I could do!

\- Where did you meet this woman? - Kaoru wanted to know.

\- In the night club “Detour”. That's a really nice place. Good music and great drinks, if you ask me.

\- And you both were there simply as guests looking for a good time?

\- Of course not, stupid. We were there for a meet-- - the woman stopped talking abruptly, covering her red painted lips with one hand.

Both policemen were quietly waiting for a continuation of the speech, Kaoru making an effort to play patient and _not_ roll his eyes at the woman, even knowing that nothing else was going to be said unless they’d start prodding for information once more. The older detective suppressed an annoyed grunt.

\- What kind of meeting was it? Who did you meet? - Die asked, voice almost sugary sweet with sympathy. But this time, the magic wouldn’t work, Marion having finally caught up with the little trick.

\- Ehh… Just a couple of friends. Nobody important really. - she replied, feigning innocence and offering a faint smile, along with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Kaoru grinned to himself. Did she actually take them for idiots? The two detectives had done their homework and knew what Mr Longman had been doing for a living. They weren’t stupid, after all; just good in playing this game with their witnesses, pretending to know nothing so the witness would give away more than intended. Marion had stepped right into their trap. And by the look on his friend’s face, Kaoru could tell the younger was about to subtly inform her of that fact.

\- Oh, really now? I think you’re lying to us. - Die answered, returning the fake smile to the woman.

Kaoru had been observing the witness the whole time. The change in her facial expression was immediate; the innocence bleeding away to make room for a panic-stricken frown, eyes wide and somewhat fearful. Simply put, she looked caught. With a little more pressure from Die, Marion’s defenses, her well-built wall of cockiness, started cracking and crumbling. Her mind wasn’t working fast enough to come up with some excuse. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, the older detective attacked from the other side. There was no way they were going to lose this battle. - Were your friends the ones that gave you the drugs or are you going to tell us you’ve been attacked by a big swarm of angry bees? - he smirked at her, not even attempting to downplay the fact that it was him who was in charge here, not her - Wanna know what I think? These - he pointed at a myriad of scars in obvious shapes on the inside of Marion’s elbow - are the signs of heroin addiction.

\- What? No! No, gentlemen, you know me, I don't do drugs. I wouldn’t, I swear! - she raised both hands in a placating gesture, shaking her head violently enough so her red bangs danced around her face. They fell over her eyes and got caught between her slightly quivering lips. Kaoru snorted, crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his uncomfortable chair, looking as relaxed and at ease as though he’d just taken a long bath. As he watched the woman’s display of light panic, a sense of victory took hold of him and he found himself grinning lopsidedly.

\- Fine, let's leave that aside for a moment. So you were “meeting some friends” at that club. What happened next?

Breathing a sigh of relief, Marion seemed to collect herself a little. - We, uh… chatted a bit. After a while I realised that Mike wasn't paying any attention at all; he was staring at the dance floor. Then I saw this _bitch_ seducing him! Of course, Mike was only a man, so it wasn't very hard to get his attention, but the way he looked at her and smiled... - she trailed off, a whimper escaping her painted lips - He said goodnight to our friends almost abruptly, y’know, and I had this terrible gut-feeling that told me something wasn’t right. I tried to stop him, asked him not to go with her, to come home with me, but he only got angry with me. - Her words came rushed now, a tremor in her voice that seemed to offer a glimpse into her core; regret and pain clearly visible on her face. Kaoru almost felt bad for her. Almost.

\- He pushed me and slapped my hands away when I tried to hold on to him. Then he told me to ‘go earn my keep’ And that I hadn’t brought in enough cash this month. That’s the last time I saw him. - she summed up.

\- What did she looked like? Any special features that would make you recognise her?

\- Well, she was slim and really tall in comparison to the average woman. She wore a short leather dress and a spiked necklace. Her hair was short and done up, black or maybe blue, I’m not sure, with some blonde. About twenty years old. I saw her dump a guy she’d been playing with before she moved to the dance floor. Guess she got bored or something. - Marion shrugged half-heartedly, then sniffled once more, her bottom lip trembling slightly - And then she picked up my Mike...

\- Have you ever met her before in this club or somewhere else?

\- I don't think so. No, I have never seen her there before. I’d remember someone like her. She was so full of herself, y’know what I mean? The way she moved already told me that, not to mention the look on her face. There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance, and she seemed like the poster-girl of a cunt. Disgusting. A real bitch. And the way she just dropped the guy who was entertaining her and went for Mike instead… With that look in her eyes like she had only been waiting for him, I mean... Seriously. If you have a man, stop looking at others. Especially if they already belong to someone! Mike was MINE! - Marion finished, snarling. Her hands were balled into tight fists, her eyes full of hate - I swear to all that’s holy, if I ever find her, I'm going to kill this bitch!

Kaoru, who had been taking notes about the mysterious woman, cleared his throat and gave Marion a pointed look, wordlessly reminding her where she was and that spewing threats in front of the police wasn’t the smartest idea if one wanted to stay out of trouble. The witness gave him a somewhat rueful smile and Kaoru returned to his notes, skimming his gaze over them repeatedly. He wondered what the seductress’ purpose was. Was she working with the killer? He decided to find out as soon as possible. For that, they first would have to visit that night club, “Detour” and find out if any of the regulars recognised the woman; though it was unlikely anyone who frequented this place would work with the police -- at least not voluntarily.

\- Thank you very much, Miss. Your testimony will help our investigation a lot. - Die said, his voice low and expression friendly. It seemed to relax the witness somewhat. - I only have one last question.

\- Sure, what is it?

\- Who were you meeting with and why? - the detective asked with a wide smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are back with the new chapter! \\(^o^)/
> 
> We apologise for the delay.m(_ _)m 
> 
> Me and my lovely beta had a hard time to concentrate on writing. To sum up life was a bitch as usual. 
> 
> Thank you for your help, Annie Amazing! 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

_A few hours later excuses were the last problem on Shinya’s mind. His friend had a very high fever that didn't want to go down no matter what he tried. Standard medicine and cold compress weren’t helping the obsidian haired boy who was lying in bed and moaning in pain. The younger was frantically flipping through the pages in his mother’s homœopathy book. There had to be something he hadn’t tried yet. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be a reliable method. With an annoyed groan he closed the book and stood up from the small coffee table._

_Taking a deep breath, he looked out the window, entranced for a moment by the swaying tree branches and the howling of the wind. It had a soothing effect that he welcomed; he needed to calm down or he would break. Shinya’s peaceful state of mind was disturbed by a loud cracking sound coming from the old barn and for a moment he was afraid lightning had hit the building. A quick glance in the direction of the barn ensured him that everything seemed to be in order, no fire or smoke in sight. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad he didn’t have to rush outside to try and save the sheep._

_Just after the thought crossed his mind, his face lit up in inspiration. That was it! Sheep! A month ago one of their sheep had come down with an infection-induced fever after it had broken a leg. They hadn’t used up all the antibiotics. The only question was, where did his parents keep the leftover medicine? With determination filtering through him and renewed vigour, Shinya moved closer to his friend and whispered - I’ll go find some medicine for you. I'll be right back. You’ll be better in no time, I promise. Just don’t die on me, okay?_

_After changing the compress on his friend’s forehead, Shinya all but sprinted down the stairs to the basement where he knew his parents usually kept the medicine and syringes. If it was effective on sheep it wouldn't be so bad for people, right? He wasn’t entirely convinced of his own logic, but there was nothing else he could do, nothing left he hadn’t tried to help lower his friend’s fever._

_Finding the bottle of antibiotics wasn’t easy. Like most people, Shinya’s father kept a lot of junk in the cellar, like cans of paint, old clothes and some rusty tools, among other things, the boy didn’t even want to know what they were. Instead, he tried to focus on finding the bottle of antibiotics in the dim light that a sole, bare lightbulb in the middle of the room provided. After a couple of minutes of rummaging through diverse drawers and boxes, feeling about ready to give up and call an ambulance for his friend instead, Shinya finally found what he had been looking for. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly climbed back up the stairs to his room._

_\- I have some antibiotics for you - Shinya announced somewhat proudly as he entered - It’s not technically for humans, but it did help our sheep, so-- He cut himself off. There was no need for further explanation. Besides, Shinya wasn’t sure his friend could even understand him properly; the only noises he made being soft, panting groans and the occasional hiss of pain._

_Carefully, Shinya read the instructions on the back of the bottle and decided that if 2 milligrams were enough for a small sheep then 4 milligrams would hopefully be enough for a teenaged human male. Concentrated like he couldn’t remember having ever been before, the young boy cautiously measured the correct dosage. When he had the syringe filled to the right amount, he turned his attention back to his friend._

_Kneeling by the side of the bed, Shinya let his fingers run over the clammy skin of the other youth’s cheek. It was frightening how the boy could look so pale and yet so flushed at the same time. His skin was hot almost to the point of burning and Shinya felt as though his fingertips were singed just from this short contact. He took a deep breath to steady himself before preparing to administer the medicine properly; like he had seen doctors do to him. He just hoped he would be able to do it correctly. He gulped audibly, willing his fingers to stop trembling as he positioned the needle. - This will sting a little - he warned and, forcing his eyes to not screw shut like they seemed to want to do, applied the injection. When he was done, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Now, all there was left to do was wait and see if the medicine helped at all._

_\- You will be better in no time. - he promised despite his fear that this may not be true. Somehow, just saying it out loud, helped him believe in his own words. Re-capping the syringe and putting it next to the bottle of antibiotics on the bedside table, Shinya got up from where he knelt on the floor. Before he left to prepare another set of cold compresses, he leant down to press gentle lips to the other boy’s forehead. - You’ll pull through. I know you will. You have to. Don’t you dare leave me alone in this. Don’t. You. Dare. - he whispered against the sweat-soaked skin, struggling with the fatigue that suddenly overcame him and the ever-present fear for his friend’s life._

_Luckily, after a while that seemed like an eternity, Shinya could see changes in his friend complexion, the first signs of him getting better. He was no longer moaning in pain and was able to sleep almost peacefully for the first time that night. Smiling softly, the younger boy sat down on the floor next to the bed, folded his arms next to his friend’s head and rested his chin on top of them. He knew that he would have to administer another dosage of medicine in a few hours, but right now, the self-proclaimed doctor-in-training wanted nothing more than to give in to the tiredness pulling at every last bone in his body. Without even noticing it, his eyelids fell shut and before long, he was slumbering peacefully next to his friend._

\------------------------------------------------------------

Even with Die’s charming smile, him and Kaoru weren't able to get any more information out of Marion. She was playing dumb, claiming not to remember clearly the names of people she and Mike had met with yesterday. Since their talk didn’t seem to go anywhere else, they reluctantly decided it best to just let her go. Not without sternly telling her to stay out of trouble and keep herself available in case they had any more questions, though -- a sentiment to which Marion only laughed.

Not entirely happy with the results of the interrogation, they left the room and decided to visit Shiroyama before they would go to the club Marion had mentioned, “Detour”. When they were on their way to the third floor, however, the two detectives ran into Jessica, who, for some unknown reason, was beyond annoyed and on the verge of yelling.

\- There you are! I’ve been looking high and low for you. Where the bloody heck have you been? There's a meeting scheduled in about… - she looked at her wristwatch, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend dangerously, - five minutes, in the big conference room.

\- Hi, Jessica. - greeted Die, who didn't pay any mind to her lack of good mood or manners. - What are you talking about? I've never heard of any meeting?

\- Who are we meeting with? - asked Kaoru, surprise evident in his features.

\- You haven't read your email today, have you? - Jessica asked, an exasperated sigh leaving her lips with the words, - Of course not. What I was expecting anyway. Why do you even have email addresses when you don't ever check them, huh?

\- Well, if the spam filters would work, then maybe I could actually find all the relevant emails. Besides, we were kind of busy in interrogation room two. Anyway what's this whole meeting about?

The woman let out a soft snort that didn’t sound at all mirthful. In fact, she seemed about ready to snap. - You’ll know it when you get there. I’m sure the commander’s already waiting for you. Get going! - she advised with a frown, shooing them off towards the elevators with a not altogether friendly gesture of her hands. - See you later. - she added over her shoulder as she turned around and started in the opposite direction, presumably in search for other colleagues running late. Kaoru kind of pitied whoever would run into her next, she had looked about ready to sink her claws into someone’s neck.

\- Jesus, what a mood. Is it just me or did she seem properly pissed off? What’s wrong with her? Stress? - asked Die, equal parts confused and concerned about the woman’s attitude. He stared after Jessica, a frown on his face.

\- Don't mind it. She's always like that when one Henry Sullen is the cause of anything. I'm sure she’ll apologise later on. - Kaoru replied, trying to cheer up his partner. The older man was used to her behaviour by now, and even though he didn’t particularly approve of being spoken to like that, he had decided to give it a rest and not argue about it with his girlfriend anymore ever since they got into one huge fight that had almost broken them up. - Let's go. Maybe we'll run into someone from the Organised Crime unit.

Deciding not to waste any more time than they already had, they called the elevator and went to the ground floor, where the conference room was. People from all of departments had already started gathering, the room packed with policemen of varying rank, making it hard to find who they were looking for.

\- Look, Kaoru. In the back of the room. - Die pointed out, wearing a wide grin. Kaoru, following the tip of his friend’s forefinger with his eyes, proceeded to roll them when he spotted the people the redhead was indicating. A soft sigh wrestled itself free from his throat, he really had no intentions of talking to those guys, but when he saw the younger man’s encouraging smile, he nodded curtly. Then, with a bit of difficulty, they pushed their way through the clusters of chatting police officers until they reached the OC’s most valued -- and most annoying -- pair of detectives.

\- Hi, guys. Mind if we take a little bit of your time? - Kaoru started, trying to be friendly. He knew that this was going to be a difficult talk that could potentially end in a medium-heavy disaster.

\- Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in, - one of the addressed officers, Jean Moreau, replied, sarcasm laced clearly through his voice. He grinned arrogantly, exposing a row of perfectly straight, almost blindingly white teeth. They contrasted starkly with his chocolate brown skin and onyx hair. - Our very own samurai combo… or was it sushi? Either way, the joy and pride of CSI. What do you want?

\- We’ve got some news for you, - said Die calmly. Kaoru, on the other hand, was seething on the inside, his fists balled at his sides. Seeing this, the younger gently touched his shoulder, making Kaoru’s rigid back lose some of its tension immediately. A glance towards his partner calmed him down even further. Offering a short glimmer of a smile to his friend, Die turned back to the two officers from the Organised Crime unit and continued, - Do you know a certain Mike Longman?

\- Do we know Mike Longman? - repeated Ryan O'Connor, the most annoying Irish man in New York if one asked Kaoru. - He’s our informant, so I don't give a shit what he did this time. You’re going to be a good boy and let him go. - O’Connor finished his little speech with a pat to Die’s cheek, grinning condescendingly.

The redhead, taking a step back, frowned in disgust and wiped his now slightly wet skin. - Keep your sweaty paws off my partner, would you, - Kaoru positively growled. It wasn’t a request so much as it was a warning, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Moreau snorted at that and crossed his arms in front of his chest. - Awh, does the little Chink have to protect his little pansy boyfriend, hmm?

Kaoru, taking a step towards the slightly taller black man in anger, was about to growl at him to shut it or eat dirt, his hands balled to tight fists at his sides once more, ready to strike. It was then that Die’s hand landed on his shoulder again, squeezing gently. Kaoru chanced a sideways glance at his partner and caught him shaking his head almost imperceptibly. In response, the older of the two Asians exhaled a calming breath, clenched his jaw and took a step back. He kept glaring at Moreau and O’Connor, but bit his tongue to stop himself from insulting the older detectives.

Much to Die’s chagrin, the Irishman and his partner scoffed at the action, Moreau opting to rile Kaoru once more. - What now, Niikura? Lost your little yellow balls somewhere up the redhead’s ass? - he taunted, showing a condescending grin that exposed his rows of shiny white teeth once again.

Surprisingly, Kaoru didn’t fall for it this time. He swallowed his anger, loosened his fists and jaw and simply smiled back at his colleague. - Assholes like you… there’s millions of them out there. Not worth my time.

Moreau snorted, O’Connor growled something unintelligible, and Die smiled to himself, proud of his partner. Clearing his throat, the redhead took a step forward. - Back to the topic at hand… Longman?

It was Moreau who responded, loathing evident in his voice. - As my partner already stated. He’s our informant, so whatever he’s done, you’re gonna let him off the hook, are we clear? We need him and you won’t botch our investigation by retaining him.

Kaoru rolled his eyes behind closed lids, forcing a smile upon his face. - Terribly sorry, but we couldn't let him go even if we wanted to. You see, right now, he’s getting friendly with Takashima and was about to get a free tour de mortuary. He simply couldn't miss it.

Die was fighting the laugh that wanted to bubble up from his throat.

\- Wha’ the fock? - Ryan was getting worked up, his Irish accent becoming more prominent with every angry flail of his tongue. - Y’ dun figure English or wha’? We says: let him fockin’ go!

\- And we are trying to tell you that Mike Longman is in the mortuary. He was killed last night, - Die answered, annoyance evident in his tone as he was slowly but surely tiring of their squabble, his patience wearing thin.

\- What the fuck do mean he was killed!? - Moreau all but yelled, his face an angry mask. He pointed an accusing finger at Die, glowering at the younger detective from dark brown eyes. - He promised us some valuable information! And now we’ve nothing! No informant. No leads. And it’s all your fault!

\- What do you mean it’s our fault? - Kaoru snapped back, crossing his arms in front of his chest, - He was your informant and you didn't keep an eye on him. If anything, you’re responsible for his untimely death.

\- Ye’ ain’t givin’ me this bull, ye’ cunt! If you’d’ave caught this ‘Justice’ or wha’ever the fock they’s callin’ ‘im, none o’ ous woulda be in this shite nu!

The ‘Justice Killer’ -- that was the name the newspapers invented for this most recent serial killer. Everyone, even the men of the law, had started to call them by this name. What's more, public opinion had caught up quickly and people had started to create a fan club on the Internet. Clearly, this particular serial killer was popular among the citizens of New York.

That was, first and foremost, because the killer’s targets so far had all been criminals. So not only did the common, law abiding citizens feel safe from harm through the ‘Justice Killer’, but also gave the serial killer some sort of righteous avenger flair, making people believe he or, statistically less likely, but still possible, she did a better job of cleansing the streets of dangerous individuals better than police ever could. Moreover, the police, who had fallen in disfavour with public opinion a long time ago due to citizens not feeling properly protected by them, was left clueless of how to find the killer, because there were never any fingerprints, barely any useful witnesses -- the killer seemed to always be one step ahead of them.

Each murder committed by the so-called ‘Justice Killer’ seemed to put authorities at a loss and police were getting put on the spot more and more, criticism and disapproving voices rising from amongst the higher-ups and even politicians. If they didn’t manage to close the case soon, New York as a state would be in deep shit, the mayor possibly even losing authority over the police force to the President and in tandem, the case would be handed to the FBI.

Thirdly, ever since the rise of the ‘Justice Killer’ to fame, the crime rate was lower than ever before, ridiculing the efforts of the NYPD to fight crime and prosecute dangerous individuals. It even went so far that reporters often advised the police to stop the investigation altogether and find themselves a new job, declaring the ‘Justice Killer’ a ‘real-life superhero’ and calling them a blessing for New York.

Fortunately, not everyone thought the serial killer to be a blessing. Die and Kaoru strongly believed that even criminals were people like everyone else. People with rights, who should be prosecuted and tried before the law, then put into prison if found guilty, instead of being murdered. Especially in such gruesome, inhumane ways. Neither did they believe in the so-called ‘pure intentions’ of the killer. Anyone who chose to murder people, for whatever reason and whoever those people might be, was a criminal and to be put behind bars. So that’s what they had tried to do for nigh on three months now, so far without any major breakthrough.

\- We’re working on it. Thanks to Marion we have some new leads that we’re going to check out as soon as this meeting’s over, - Kaoru replied, his voice an annoyed drawl, showing that he was starting to tire of this conversation.

\- Hah! Marion? Seriously? Bahaha! That crack whore wouldn't be able to help herself! Let alone police. You trust her, you’re even more of a moron than I thought! If this is your idea of leading an investigation, maybe you should change jobs? Go back to serving wan tan and let the real men do your work.

Kaoru rolled his eyes, visibly unimpressed by Moreau’s words. - All I hear from you is Chinks this, Yellows that, sushi here, wan tan there. You might wanna settle for one type of insult. We’re Japanese, you idiot.

Chuckling, Die added, - Besides, Moreau, don’t you think you’re being awfully racist for a black guy? But then, I guess, bigotry has never been exclusively white. - He shrugged, gesturing vaguely with his hand, a rather self-satisfied grin on his lips as he watched Moreau and O’Connor turn various shades of red in anger, or perhaps even embarrassment.

\- What do you even know about running an investigation? You in the OC are only good at making agreements with criminals. You offer them protection or amnesty in exchange for information that you either won’t get anyway or, if you do, turns out to be useless in the end, - Die continued, - But what do I know, right. To me, you’re no better than all of those people we’re supposed to put behind bars.

\- Dun go ‘n get me angry ye’ yellow fockin’ piece o’ shite or I's goin’ to fockin’ kill ye’. - O'Connor growled.

They didn't even realise that the commander was already in the room, watching their exchange and positively fuming with anger. They were already running late according to the timetable and he couldn't have it this time. Jessica, in an attempt to stop officer Sullen from blowing up in everyone’s faces, cleared her throat, loudly, getting the attention of every last detective present. She shot a glare towards her boyfriend and his partner, shook her head almost imperceptibly, then let her gaze sweep over the room in general, before addressing the gathered policemen.

\- Thank you for joining us on such short notice, everyone. Please sit down so we may begin. - She tried to sound as professional as possible, yet her voice wavered just the slightest bit -- something Kaoru picked up on immediately. She was nervous, and rightly so. His gaze fell on the commander, then back to his girlfriend. If their boss had witnessed what had been going down between him, Die, Moreau and O’Connor, they were in for some serious ass-whooping later. But Jessica, being his assistant, would most likely have to brave the brunt of the old man’s anger. He made a mental note to apologise to her later. With flowers, maybe.

Next to Jessica Henry Sullen, an older man with grey hair and slightly wrinkled, yet remarkably sharp features and stern, bright blue eyes, was looking at the group of people who were working under his command, usually like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, even the best machines needed a check-up from time to time, he realised. Deciding there was no point in making a scene now, he swallowed his anger and sighed. There were more pressing matters to attend to. He would sort out Niikura, Andō, Moreau and O’Connor later.

\- Lads and lasses, good to see you made it even on such short notice, - Sullen started, keeping his tone friendly, though the edge his voice always held remained, - As you may or may not know, this year is a special one for us. The public will vote for our new mayor. It’s no secret that our current mayor is fighting to be re-elected and thus, obliged us to correct our results. As a part of...

It was at that point that Kaoru stopped listening. He barely suppressed an annoyed groan. That was why they were made to come here? Because of bullshit politics? To be told to work harder and put in some more extra and double shifts just so the stupid mayor could provide the citizens with a reason to vote for him, or rather, a reason not to vote for his opposition? Wonderful. Just great. This time, Kaoru couldn’t suppress the annoyed growl that slipped him, earning a sharp glare from his girlfriend from across the room. For once, he didn’t feel sorry. His time would have been much better spent mulling over their case, finding new clues or even doing some legwork and finally checking out that club Marion mentioned. Die, who was sitting next to Kaoru wasn’t even pretending to listen. Right now, he was typing away on his smartphone. A glance at the screen over his partner’s shoulder confirmed Kaoru’s suspicion that it was the new girlfriend the redhead was messaging. A grin spread over the older man’s face and he poked Die in the ribs, who promptly jumped in his seat and then stared at Kaoru wide-eyed. Smiling fondly at his friend, the older detective whispered, - Don’t make any plans for today, alright?

Confused, Die tilted his head to the side and blinked. - Awh, but I was kinda looking forward to a nice lunch… - There was an adorable pout on his face as he said that, making Kaoru snicker.

\- Sorry to sink your ship, buddy, but we were going to check out this “Detour” club, remember?

With a gentle sigh, Die nodded and offered a small smile before returning to type on his phone. Kaoru watched him delete parts of the message before averting his gaze. Die still had to properly introduce the girl to him; but curious -- not to say nosy -- as the older man was, secretly reading his best friend’s messages over his shoulder felt like breaching his trust, so Kaoru didn’t. He would be patient. The time would come when he would learn more about the mysterious beauty from IT. Hopefully soon.

As Kaoru tried not to fall asleep from the deep, humming buzz of the commander’s voice, his gaze roamed across the room to find something to occupy his thoughts. He wasn’t listening anyway. He skimmed over the duo from the OC, making a face and rolling his eyes as O’Connor covertly showed him the finger. His gaze travelled farther through the room, over disinterested faces, some people with stern expressions, some who looked downright angry and others, who all but looked like falling over from boredom any second now. It didn't seem like anyone gave a flying fuck about the mayor and his plans on how to win the upcoming election a second time.

The detective, who could barely keep from releasing a huge yawn, gently shook his head to keep himself awake and drag his mind out of the stupor it was currently trapped in, and, for lack of a better occupation, decided his time would indeed be better spent working on their serial killer case. So his mind started to wander. The case was growing bigger and bigger with every passing day. There was a new body almost every week, nine victims thus far, twelve weeks of investigation that had led them all across town and yet gotten them nowhere. It was problematic and getting worse with every day they didn’t catch the killer. Their investigation had gotten so much negative PR in newspapers and other media, it was startling. Especially amongst the younger generation, who had started seeing the killer as some kind of superhero able to cleanse the city of scum and make it safer with his regular executions of criminals. They accused the police of being useless and jealous of this serial killer’s results, that he managed what the police themselves didn’t even though the killer worked alone. The crime rate was also dropping and was now lower than it had been in a long time before this Justice Killer emerged from the shadows. The whole thing was such a mess.

Personally, Kaoru was torn inside. Of course he wasn’t stupid enough to believe in the good intentions of the murderer. Excuse you, it’s a serial killer we’re talking about, you can never trust such a person. Who knew when they’ll get bored with killing criminals and turn to innocent people instead? Maybe even children? On the other hand, this particular individual did manage to cause a steady decline in the city’s crime rate, and that, he had to begrudgingly admit, was an achievement in itself. Most of all, however, the policeman was simply curious. He wanted to know, he needed to know -- why? Why would this person go to such lengths in killing criminals, and in this gruesome, painful way? More often than not, the victims had been tortured to death. Kaoru had many questions with new ones coming to mind every time a new body was found, and he needed answers. As fast as possible. And it looked like now, they were one step closer to getting them, what with the killer leaving them a message, granting them something, a clue, maybe a hint to the killer’s reasons or perhaps pointing them in the direction of the next victim. If they were really lucky, and the killer actually wanted to be found, there could even be a subtle hint on how to manage that. No matter what the contents of the CD left at Longman’s were, Kaoru was sure it would bring them one step closer to finding the so-called Justice Killer. And, most importantly, stop them.

His thoughts were disturbed by the commander who was just concluding his speech. - And that, lads and lasses, is why we’ve got to try harder. Much, much harder. Just remember that every closed case means more money for the department, and, subsequently, for every single one of you. - Kaoru snorted. So that was Henry Sullen’s main intent. Kaoru couldn't help but feel disappointed. Somewhere, deep down, he had hoped that at least Sullen of all people would have something inspiring to say. Money. Who cared about money? It was their goddamn calling to fight for justice out there in the streets! At least, it had been for him. If one wanted to make a pretty penny, Kaoru thought, one should have picked another line of work. A safer one. Like, CEO of some big company, Google or Amazon or some such. Or mayor of motherfucking New York City. No one became a police officer for the money!

\- Alright, moving on... - With those words, the commander didn’t, as most of the assembled quite obviously had hoped, conclude the meeting, but instead started to target each team present and ask about their progress. Neither Kaoru nor Die were paying much attention to any of it until officer Sullen’s sharp voice caught their attention. He hadn’t called for them, but for Moreau and O’Connor, the two asswipes from the OC. Exchanging a glance, Kaoru and his partner immediately knew that this would be good, so they couldn’t miss it, wouldn’t have for all the money in the world.

\- O'Connor, Moreau, - the commander addressed them in his usual gruff voice, - How’s your investigation coming along? Finally any results? We have invested a lot into your case. Isn't it time it starts paying off already?

\- Well, - started Moreau, a faked guilty expression on his face, - Thanks to someone, - here, he started smirking as he turned his gaze toward Kaoru and Die, most likely hoping their superior would get off his back and latch onto the two Japanese men instead, - we have lost our informant, who was killed by…

\- Were they the only informant you had? - Sullen interrupted, his tone harsh, a frown edged deeply onto his face, - I thought you capable of getting a hold of someone better than one measly dealer. Did you manage to extract some sort of useful information, at least? - He stared hard at O’Connor and Moreau, his bright blue eyes sparkling dangerously, and to their embarrassed headshakes, he continued, positively growling, - This is all you have for me after almost a full year of investigation? You will come to my office later. - With that, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and sighed.

Kaoru and Die could barely hide their gleeful grins. - Had it coming, those two, - Die whispered, to which the older detective nodded excessively, his eyes sparkling. Their happiness was only short-lived, however, as the commander called out to them right then.

\- Niikura, Andō. How are you doing? What do you have for me? Please tell me you have something. Anything.

Inwardly, Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief. Then, proudly, he stood up from his chair, straightened his back, raised his chin and gave a curt nod in the older man’s direction. - We made some progress, - he started, his voice radiating confidence, - It seems the killer wants to communicate with us. We found a CD at the latest crime scene.

\- Good, very good, - Henry Sullen interrupted once again, nodding along to Kaoru’s words and making the detective’s chest swell with pride in the process, - What’s on it?

\- We don’t know yet, - Kaoru admitted, suddenly feeling insecure, but deciding not to show it after chancing a sideways glance at Die, who stood beside him and offered a barely visible, yet encouraging smile. Thus, Kaoru maintained his professional mask as he continued, - It’s still being extracted. However, I think whatever is on it will help us understand the killer, their motive, and eventually it’ll lead us to them. Actually, I would like to add another profiler to our team to help with analysing the new data once we got it...

Here, the older man interrupted again, - You can have another profiler once the data on the CD proves valuable. It could be any old junk for all we know right now. Anything else?

Nodding, Kaoru continued, - We also managed to obtain additional information that suggests the killer may be using someone as bait. But we have yet to confirm it.

\- Fine. Go and do that, then. And get back to me once you know what’s on the disc you found, then we’ll see if a second profiler is necessary on your team. Resources are tight, as you know. Either way, good work so far. This is what I expect from you guys. Remember that our main purpose is to catch him and put him in prison. I don’t want any shootings in my streets, it’s bad press, and that has been terrible already, lately. Are we clear?

\- Yes, sir, - Die and Kaoru answered simultaneously, nodding at their superior. Receiving a curt nod in reply, they considered themselves dismissed and settled back into their seats as the grey-haired man moved on to another team. Once the meeting was, after some yelling, reprimanding and exasperation on the commander’s side, officially over and the two of them safely outside, with several doors and corridors between them and their boss, Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief. - Good grief, glad that’s finally over. I’d begun to think he wouldn’t dismiss us anytime before next week with the way he was going.

Nodding, the younger gave a soft chuckle, - Thankfully, you were wrong for once.

Clicking his tongue, Kaoru, remembering the piercing blue gaze of commander Sullen, shivered slightly, a notion that didn’t go unnoticed by his partner.Die smiled at him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezing. - Calm down, it went well enough. You were very convincing. And at least he didn’t yell at you.

Sighing once more, the older man spared his friend a sideways glance and nodded slowly, - Yeah... it was a close call, though. He seemed more demanding than usual. I was actually… scared, - he admitted a bit sheepishly, loathe as he was to say it. But then, he could never hide anything from Die, the taller man reading Kaoru like an open book.

Unsurprisingly, the redhead didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he gave a reassuring smile and nodded before replying, - M-hm. I could see that. Doubt anyone else picked up on it, though, so don’t worry. Your image’s intact, Tough Guy. - They both laughed at that, Kaoru with a hint of relief on his breath, Die with amusement sparkling in his bright cinnamon eyes. Winking, the redhead continued, - And hey, you survived.. By the way, when did we decide to add another profiler to our team?

\- Ah, you know… did a quick vote on it while you were busy flirting with your girlfriend, - Kaoru teased, chuckling, - Don't you remember?

\- Oh really? - answered Die, who didn’t sound at all convinced of that explanation, but was blushing regardless, - Fooling your boss might come easy to you, but your partner? Please, Kaoru, I’ve known you half my life, I know when you’re lying through your teeth. You’ve made yet another decision on your own, without consulting me first. Not nice, that.

\- Well, what can I say? It was a spur-of-the-moment kind of a thought, so I didn't have much of an option, did I? Besides, I’m leading this investigation, so I don’t need to ask your opinion, Romeo.

Pouting, Die shot him a -- Kaoru wouldn’t have thought it possible, but then, this was Die he was discussing -- gentle glare. - Maybe so. It would still have been nice. I’m your partner after all. - With that, he offered a fake sniff and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Like a child, Kaoru thought, and chuckled softly.

\- Well, since you insist I ask your opinion: what do you think we should do now? Quick coffee and breakfast and then we get up and on the road to check out this club, gather some info?

Cocking an eyebrow, the redhead listened intently to his partner, then shook his head. - Sorry to spoil your perfect plan, but Shiroyama sent me a text earlier, saying that he needs to talk to us asap. Meaning, now.

\- Oh, come on! Right now? - Kaoru groaned. To Die’s sardonic nod, he sighed once more, - Okay, fine. So first Shiroyama, and then breakfast and the club. I’m not a fan, but needs must when the devil drives, I guess.

With that, Kaoru followed Die down the hall toward the elevator that would take them to Shiroyama’s office. He was hungry and getting grumpy just thinking about how long it’d take him to get something to eat. He growled in tandem with his belly. Maybe he could convince Die to at least make a quick stop at the cafeteria to pick up a sandwich or some snacks? It wasn’t really efficient to work on an empty stomach, was it?

**Author's Note:**

> it is my first fanfic so I appreciate all your comments.


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